


Snuff

by avatarumi



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff, Blood, Blood and Gore, Extreme angst, F/M, Fluff, Gore, Human Transmutation, Murder, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 14:17:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14310522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarumi/pseuds/avatarumi
Summary: Roy is an absolute mess after the death of his best friend, Maes. Upon going to visit Roy, Riza discovers the unthinkable.





	Snuff

**Author's Note:**

> Not even gonna lie, I almost cried writing this. Sorry in advance but also not really. Also, if you're squeamish or sensitive to gore, this may not be the story for you.

It had been a few days since Maes’ funeral. Watching a part of the Colonel go six feet under shriveled a part of myself as well. He had stopped eating. Sleeping was a lost cause. Flaming determination that once filled his eyes was somehow almost snuffed under the tragedy of his best friend. The Colonel always loved my cooking, no matter how terrible. Maybe a nice dinner would cheer him up. Upon returning home from work for the day, I decided to make him a massive pan of lasagna to take over. At least lasagna was easy enough to reheat and keep fresh for a few days. 

On my walk over to the Colonel’s, I stopped for a bottle of spirits in a borderline feeble attempt to replenish his. I stared into the umber glass for a moment after leaving the shop, finding my own reflection within it. For a moment, I swore I saw Roy’s eyes staring back at me. No doubt he’d imbibed and indulged in the company of his demons the past few days. The stench of whisky stained the under shirt of his uniform; an incense of muted reeling. 

Upon making my way to his apartment complex, a feeling of dread came over me. For some reason, the weight of the world sloshed at my every footstep, slowing me to a crawl. No matter how much I try, there is nothing in the world that is going to be enough to help him. For all the times I’ve had his back and saved his ass, I am of minimal help when it comes to erasing the pains of his heart. Maybe attempting to be there was all I needed to do, and maybe that was all he wanted me to do. Regardless, I can’t stop myself from the desire to take his pain away completely. Any burden we are to bear, we shall always bear them together. 

I finally reached the door. Faintly, I could hear scratching noises from within. I knocked lightly with no response.

“Colonel?” I inquired. No response, though the scratching did cease. “Colonel?” My voice quivered this time. He was never slow to answer the door. Especially not for me. My mind raced. What the hell could he possibly be doing in there?

He gave me a spare key to his place quite some time ago just in case. Remembering this, I grabbed my keyring and fiddled with it before finding the right one. I place it into the lock with slight remorse for invading his privacy. 

“Sir, I’m coming in!” I called loudly.

The chrome lock clicked and the door creaked open on its own as if to invite me in. I stood in the threshold, frozen for a second as I stared into the foreboding darkness of his living quarters. I flicked on the light in the kitchen and placed the lasagna on the table, grabbing the bottle of spirits to greet him with. 

From somewhere within the residence, I could swear I heard breathing. Following the labored sound, I crept through the hallway. The Colonel’s study area, I thought to myself. That had to be where it was coming from. I inched towards the end of the hall before coming face to face with the door. 

“Sir?” I said in a whisper as my hand reached for the knob. 

The knob squeaked menacingly, shattering the rhythmic silence as I turned it. At almost the same time as the knob was turned, I heard a clap from the other side of the door. What the hell is he doing, I thought. Blue light seeped from the open crack and I about threw the door off its hinges as I opened it. 

Before me sat a crumpled and broken heap of a man in front of a giant transmutation circle. The blue light turned to purples and the bottle of liquor I had once held exploded on the floor. It was only then that he had noticed my presence and turned to look at me. Dear God, how I wish he hadn’t. Tears streamed down his despondent face. The darkness of the night had found a home nestled beneath his eyes. He clearly hadn’t shaved in days. His hair was a greasy, jet-black disaster. Stains riddled his white t-shirt. Tiny black hands reached for him one by one, pulling him towards the center of the circle. 

“I’m sorry,” he mouthed as he disappeared within.

I fell to my hands and knees. The glass from the bottle lacerated my flesh. Blood mixed with the liquor-stained floor. My hands burned as the alcohol infested my wounds, but it was nothing compared to the searing inferno in my chest. I screamed to try and let some of the pain escape, but none abandoned me. 

After all we’ve been through, this is how he finally betrayed me? Stupid bastard. 

An ancient but not forgotten promise echoed in my head; ‘If I ever deviate from my path, then I want you to shoot me. And I’m trusting you to do so.’

The Colonel’s abrupt scream ripped through the study. My head jerked up to see him grabbing at his face. I stumbled to my feet and simply stared at the disheveled man I once knew so well. Behind him, a gelatinous mass of flesh quivered. As he removed his hands from his face, I almost lost my stomach. Empty sockets were imbedded in his skull where eyes once shimmered. Blood rained down his face as he tried to look in my direction. 

“C-colonel…” I said. “What the hell were you thinking…?”

“I was desperate. I’m so sorry…” he said between sobs. 

I reached for my holster with shaking hands. He knew the familiar sound and shook his head. The Colonel looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t-maybe even couldn’t. I stretched out my arms, trusty pistol in hand. It became the only barrier between the Colonel and myself. A long silence passed. 

“I just stood judgement before god and now I stand judgement before my queen. To be quite honest with you, I’m not sure which one is scarier,” he said with fear filling his tone. “Riza… I’m so sorry. Grief overcame me and I lost sight of what really matters. I finally understand what went through those boys’ heads when they tried to bring their mother back. All I wanted was to tell Maes how sorry I was for letting him die. I needed to make it up to him somehow. But… now I understand that there is nothing in the world I can do to make this up to you. Riza, I-“

“Don’t even bother.” I cut him off with venom in my voice. “You’re not the man I once knew. How on earth could such a pillar of strength be broken down into nothing so quickly. You’re damn straight you lost sight of what really matters, Roy. You lost sight of yourself.” I cocked my gun with tears in my eyes, knowing what I needed to do next. I could feel my body burning. The click echoed through the room, shattering us both. 

“If you’re going to shoot me, shoot me.” He turned to confront me fully, displaying the price he had already paid. 

My hands shook. With one sharp exhale I fired a round right between his eyes. His body slumped over, a mere pool of blood and bones. The mass of flesh behind him was somehow snuffed at the same time. Tears blurred my vision. Not that I wanted to see any of this anyway. My sobs filled the silence and I fell to my knees one last time. 

“I’ll follow you into hell if that’s what you wish,” I said before turning the gun on myself.


End file.
